Jones: Game was won in the first half

Hatters boss Nathan Jones felt his side’s dogged first half performance set them on the way to a 2-1 win at Crewe Alexandra this afternoon.

Even the scores were goalless at the break, Town had the wind and rain against them in that opening period, but managed to keep a clean sheet and then took advantage after the interval.

Danny Hylton put the Hatters in front on 63 minutes, with Luke Berry doubling up just four minutes afterwards, as Luton held on despite a late own goal from Johnny Mullins.

Jones said: “To be fair I think we’ve underplayed the first half.

“I think we won the game in the first half, because conditions were horrific down there, it was blowing a gale and we were playing against the wind.

“So to carve out the amount of openings we did, they weren’t clear cut chances, we had a few, and a little bit more quality we would have taken the lead.

“I thought we defended excellently, I thought we defended set plays, anything that was whipped in, we defended it well and I thought that’s when game was won to be honest with you.

“We knew second half we just had to come out of the traps and get that first goal.

"After the own goal that lifted their spirits slightly then they threw everything at us and we had to defend that out.

“But we should have been out of sight before then, we had enough chances, but I’m very, very pleased.

“That’s topped a wonderful week off – nine points, we remain top of the league, and three really different victories and performances, but I am so pleased with them.”

On Luton’s dominance, in the second period, Jones felt they could have been even more comfortable victors, adding: “We started the second half well, but they changed for us. They played a back five, and a diamond, then one up front – which shows the kind of respect they showed to us.

"But then when they changed I felt the space was opening up. We made a little change and went back to the diamond and I thought Andrew Shinnie coming on changed the game.